Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Q My cat Garfield never hurts birds, but my neighbor keeps asking me to keep him
in the house. Why are bird lovers so paranoid about cats?
A
Theexactnumberofbirdskilledbycatseachyearisunknown,butthemostconservat-
ive authoritative estimates place the annual kill in the United States at close to a hundred
million birds every year, and some careful studies place the kill at about half a billion
birdseveryyear.Feralcatsareahugeproblem,buthousecatsthatspendpartoftheirlives
outdoors also kill significant numbers.
Cats are “natural killers”; their instincts lead them to hunt small, moving creatures.
But they are not natural in the sense that they're not part of the animal life native to
North America. They were brought here by humans and seldom survive to lead long and
healthy lives unless they are subsidized by people offering them food and medical atten-
tion. When people do provide outdoor cats with medical treatment and care, or even just
supplemental feeding, these felines can survive and even thrive, and may decimate local
bird populations. They may be especially dangerous for migrating birds passing through
unfamiliarareas.Outdoorandferalcatsquicklyfigureoutthepatternsofwhenandwhere
newmigrantsarrive,butthesebirdshavenowayofanticipatingthepresenceofcatsuntil
it's too late.
As a former rehabber, I have cared for hundreds of birds that had been attacked by
cats.Inallbutonecase,thesebirdshavediedfrominternalinjuriesorinfectionsfromthe
